Ex-chancellor Schroeder proposed as mediator in Ukrainian conflict

Ukraine's Ministry of Health says clashes between protesters and the police in Kiev have killed 25

BERLIN, February 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could act as a mediator between the government and the opposition in Ukraine's political crisis, chairman of The Left party faction in Germany's parliament Gregor Gysi told Deutschlandfunk radio station.

Schroeder was capable of mediating as a person with good Russia contacts, he added, saying that no salvation from current turmoil was possible without Moscow’s participation.

Unrest has deepened in Ukraine as opposition forces challenge suspended advance in the proposed European Union Association Agreement. Peaceful rallies that started last November in the centre of Kiev, capital of Ukraine, have spilled over into armed confrontations across the country.

Ukraine's Ministry of Health says clashes between protesters and the police in Kiev have killed 25. It reports 361 people have sought medical aid, 241 have been sent to hospital, among them 79 police officers, five journalists, a deputy and three minors.